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Oh, 311. How we love you. Not only do you prodvide easy access to city information, and an even easier way to bitch about city services, but now you provide us with statistical porn each month!
Under a new city law ("Local Law 47") the Department of Information Technology and Communications is now required to release monthly reports of data collected on calls made to 311. And what a boatload of information there is to release! Don't believe us? Go check the Local Law 47 website yourself.
So what was bugging New Yorkers in May? Well rodents brought in the most calls, but the water system didn't do so bad either:
New Yorkers made 9,956 calls about the water system, including their water bills, 7,973 calls about sewer problems and 4,414 calls about noise last month, according to a breakdown of the top categories.Other callers reported strange odors and other kinds of air pollution (1,524 calls), industrial waste (619 calls) and hazardous materials (263 calls).
In dealing with 311 complaints, different government agencies have had varying degress of success. The Department of Enviornmental Protection managed to close 91 percent off its 25,404 calls. Similarly the Department of Transportation managed to close 91 percent of its 12,887 calls in an average of 2 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes. The Department of Buildings, on the other hand, only managed to close 6,075 of the 10,962 complaints that were forwarded its way. Then again, with all the construction in the city, the DoB probably has its hands pretty full.
Have you looked over the numbers? What trends did you find interesting?
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Dear Garth:
311 now provides us with the numbers, but it comes after May of 2005, when Council Member Gale Brewer successfully championed Local Law 47 in the City Council, that DoITT and the mayor agreed to publish stats. 311 was in existence for some time without reporting on its success (or lack thereof) in both accepting and triaging New Yorkers' calls for assistance. Community Boards and elected officials, those closest to the people whose calls made it through the 311 system, need this type of information for optimal community planning and to follow-up on their constituents calls about air pollution, noise, industrial waste, and more.
Brewer's Local Law 47 also set into motion the continued push to keep government open and transparent. Promoting good government as well as better local planning is a recipe for a healthy New York City too long forgotten. Thankfully, these and updated 311 reports will continue to appear on DoITT's website, allowing all New Yorkers to better understand how its government is serving their needs and concerns.
Ryan Merola
Office of Council Member Gale Brewer